Program exposes students to manufacturing careers

MILAN TWP. — Nearly two dozen students from EHOVE Career Center recently stepped out of the classroom as they experienced what a day in a modern manufacturing plant looks like. On April 8, these students visited the Saint-Gobain CertainTeed roofing plant in the Avery area as part of the company's Sustaining Futures, Raising Communities workforce development program. This program is designed to offer students exposure to manufacturing career paths and provide visibility into a high-paying field that, until now, has been difficult for students to experience. The plant, which employs around 200 people, was the first in Ohio to welcome students as part of Sustaining Futures, Raising Communities. The day kicked off with a welcome from senior plant manager Brandon Joffre, who explained what the plant produces and a bit of plant history. After speaking with the students, Brandon said, "We're proud of this program and grateful for the strong engagement from our local community. The time invested by the students, their teachers and our plant team was inspiring and leaves us very optimistic about the future of manufacturing." Karen Bezoski — environmental, health and safety manager for the plant — then provided an overview of the plant safety policies and procedures, a crucial part of visiting any manufacturing plant. After donning their personal protective equipment, the students embarked on a tour of the plant, learning about each step in the manufacturing process and dispelling some of the old myths of manufacturing careers as dirty, unsafe or without growth opportunities. The experience offered a behind-the-scenes look at the technical precision and teamwork required to produce the high-performance products manufactured every day by the plant. As the visit wrapped up, Kendra Ward, communications coordinator for EHOVE, remarked, "The event was well-planned and organized with thoughtful, engaging activities. The staff managed it well by keeping things moving, establishing their obvious teamwork and including positive role model behavior for the students." Manufacturing is a vital industry for Ohio, adding over $134.9 billion to the state's economy. The industry is also a major driver of employment in the state with nearly 693,000 Ohio residents employed in manufacturing jobs.